1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to surgical instruments used during appendectomy and, more particularly, to a specially designed instrument used when excising an appendix.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 1 is an illustration of a human appendix 1 connected to the cecum 2 of the large intestine 4. The meso appendix 6 is a thin, triangular shaped portion connected to the appendix 1 and the small intestine 8. During an appendectomy, the base of the appendix 1 and the meso appendix 6 must be cut and sutured or stapled to halt blood flowing to the excised appendix 1.
In the past, large incisions in the patient's abdomen were required to allow access to an inflamed appendix. With the advent of laparoscopic techniques which utilize a camera, appendectomies can now be performed by making smaller holes in a patient and viewing the operation on a television display. In a typical operation, small holes are made in the patient's abdomen, the abdomen is enlarged using carbon dioxide or other suitable gas, a camera is inserted into one hole to view the operation, and instruments and suturing or stapling devices are inserted into other holes for performing the operation.
Because smaller holes are being made in the patient's abdomen, the appendix is not as accessible to the surgeon. Until this invention, surgeons have been required to use forceps to remove the appendix once it is sutured or stapled. Using forceps or other make-shift instruments is not ideal because it extends the length of time of the surgery and ties up an operating room. Therefore, a need exists for a specially designed surgical instrument for extracting an appendix which makes laparoscopy a reasonable choice for surgery (e.g., if the appendix cannot be extracted quickly using laparoscopic techniques, it may be more reasonable to make a larger incision and have freer access to the appendix).